The 75 Best Restaurants In St. Louis According To Me

Union Loafers Takeaway. The Crown Jewel Of St. Louis. My favorite St. Louis restaurant. 8/10 Salad. 8.9/10 Sandwiches. 9.1/10 Pizza. 10/10 Sourdough Bread.

The Simone Biles of STL food.

Always order a loaf. Get anything with bread. ~$8 bread. $8 salad. $15 sandwiches. It's expensive. Ask your parents to take you when they come to town. Twenty minutes to an hour for pick up. Ordering pizza can be a pain. Parking is easy on side streets with a three-minute walk. Tip: Try a pizza rosa with chili oil at lunch. Note: Pizza review coming in the future.

Cate Zone Takeaway. The best Chinese food I've ever had. Currently in my top two favorite St. Louis restaurants. Better than any Chinese food I ever had in Los Angeles or San Francisco. It's Szechuan, so add one spice level to everything. Expect 45-60 minutes for takeout or a table on Friday/Saturday. Huge portions. ~$30/person. Tip: Go for lunch if you don't want to wait. Eating in the restaurant is 1.5x better than takeout, which is still amazing.

Balkan Treat Box Takeaway. Treat yourself to Balkan Treat Box whenever you're in the area, and they're open. One of the best restaurants in St. Louis with a general food score of 9.3 / 10 from me. Hard to classify exactly what food type a "pide" or "doner". Not a sandwich; it's more a Mediterranean delight. The pita may be the best I've ever had, and it's definitely the best in St. Louis. I order a bag to go every time.

They even fixed the biggest downside - their hours. They're now open from 11-8 Friday and Saturday.

Still closed on Sunday and Monday. You should check availability before making the trek to Webster Groves.

Service is fine. You order at the counter, get a number, and go to your table. It usually takes 10-15 minutes to get your food; even if a long line runs, you only have fifteen minutes to wait. My favorite place to sit is outside when the weather permits. They have a dedicated lot in the back or street parking out front.

Blues City Deli Takeaway. Happiness is family, friends, and Blues City Deli sandwiches. Hot Italian is my go-to. The best sandwich in St. Louis. Get anything with roast beef. $10.50 before tax and tip. Super fast service. Line out the door only means 15 minutes. Park on a side street. Limited seating. Get there before 11:30 a.m. for no line. Every staff member is perky, talkative, and helpful. People come from all around Saint Louis. Everything great about St. Louis in one deli.

Update: After visiting another 15 sandwich shops in the past three months, I came back to Blues City Deli, and it somehow managed to beat my expectations.

Nathaniel Reid Bakery Takeaway. Nathaniel Reid pastries rightfully rank among the nation's best, never mind St. Louis. They have some of the best pastries I've had anywhere, including France. I give it a near-perfect score of 9.9/10. The kouign-amann ($4.95) is the star: crisp, buttery, custardy, and completely unforgettable. It's worth the trip on its own.

A multi-time James Beard Award winner with reasonable prices and consistent execution, so there's always a line. But that's a small price to pay for what are arguably some of the finest baked goods in the country.

The sandwiches and bread are fine, but they're not why you're here. This place is about the pastry case, full stop.

The staff are friendly and helpful. There's a parking lot right outside, though getting back out onto Manchester can be a pain.

Pizza Head Takeaway. Perfect Pizza That Tastes Like New Jersey. Pizza Head in Tower Grove made my night last night. This pizza tastes exactly like New Jersey. Perfect sauce-to-cheese ratio. Super thin undercarriage that maintains its structure. A bit chewy, but still crisp. Brought me back to being a kid.

At 9.2 / 10, this is in the top 5% of pizzas I've had in my life. The 8/10 crust held it back from scoring even higher. $18 for 20" weighing 40 oz is the BEST VALUE non-Dominos/Costco division. CRAZY. And you can order by the slice.

The best pizza in St. Louis.

Take out only. Order online to schedule pickup. You pickup or order from a very small window. Street parking in downtown Tower Grove.

Salt + Smoke Takeaway. My pulled pork place in St. Louis. 8.7 / 10 bbq score. The pulled pork, brisket, and chicken are all top-notch. Each plate comes with two sides and a pop-over. It's a ton of food, but on the relatively pricer side of St. Louis. $18.99 for a plate. I am partial to the mac-and-cheese and duck-fat fries. Every bite from start to finish is heavy, tasty, and filling. Just have a Tums on hand afterward.

I ordered online for pickup this time, but I've been at the Delmar location for lunch and dinner. Never had an issue with service or time-to-food. For pickup, I park in the little parking lot next to the restaurant on the Loop or across the street on a side street. Parking is easily available behind the building.

Menya Rui Takeaway. The best ramen I've ever had. I climbed a personal Everest and made it to Menya Rui. An inverse dining experience, you wait outside for 45 minutes to an hour chatting and then get in and eat in under twenty. Spectacular broth with melt-in-your-mouth ground ramen. Splurge the extra $1 for the soft-boiled egg, bringing it to $16 / bowl. Karaage was yummy, but just save stomach space for ramen.

Very high-energy vibes make you feel alive. Inside, it holds maybe twenty people. There are small tables and bars. They expect you to get in and get out quickly. You order and pay from an electronic menu tied to your seat, so bring a phone. Come in small groups. Expect to wait an hour in line outside. There is plenty of parking.

Clementine's Naughty & Nice Ice Cream Takeaway. Naughty = Expensive, Nice = Delicious. Clementine's may cost an arm and a leg for ice cream, but damn is it good. 9.2 / 10 ice cream, it's the real deal. I got an espresso royale with flakes of espresso. My wife had a midnight cherry bite in a waffle cone. At $5.50 for a scoop and $2 for a waffle cone, ice cream for two cost us $16. They have a ton of custom flavors, including chocolate bourbon and champagne. Real deal ice cream experience.

Clementine's is my favorite ice cream in St. Louis.

Standard ice cream service in a single file line with multiple people taking orders. You can taste test any flavor you like, with some people tasting two. They had two people taking orders, so a line will form when eight people come in like us at 9 pm. Parking in a giant dedicated lot at this location in Clayton, they have several locations around St. Louis.

Corner 17 Takeaway. Truly awesome Chinese food. The hand-pulled and hand-shaved noodles are the star of the show. Order anything with dough. Expect a 30-minute+ wait at non-lunch times or order online. Standard Chinese food price. It feels small on the inside. Parking on the loop is easy, even at 8 p.m. on a Saturday. Extensive list of bubble teas, slushies, and milt teas I've never had. Everything is green.

El Guanaco Taqueria & Pupuseria Takeaway. El Grand Guanaco Delivers With The Baleada Especial. Oh my god, was that delicious. Chorizo, steak, chicken, queso, eggs, avocado, and cream. I mean, come on. Where has this been all my life? And only $7.99?!?!!?!? The $3 pupusa was heavy on the bread, and the sauce detracted from the flavor. It wasn't a table favorite. Chips were a 4.8/10 for me, but free. Excellent red salsa > green salsa.

Total hole in the wall on Page Ave. Barely enough parking for lunch.

Friendly, fast service.

No frills. No filler. Just totally amazing food. Currently in my top five best restaurants in St. Louis.

Sado Takeaway. Best sushi in Saint Louis at totally reasonable prices. Incredibly fresh fish. Expertly designed appetizers and rolls. Surprisingly, large portions make a solid price-to-flavor ratio. They save walk-ins, so you have a 50/50 shot on Friday and Saturday night. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Parking can take a minute in The Hill. Top 5 sushi places I've ever been. Tip: Sitting at the Sushi Bar lets you speak with the chef and possibly nap some samples.

Bagel And Bliss Takeaway. Finally, Bagels in UCity. Being a big-time East Coast bagel snob, I would say that they are an 8.7 / 10, a number I don't throw around lightly. They had a nice crunch on the outside, while still being pillowy in the middle. $2 a bagel isn't cheap, but the bagels here would fit in at a decent New Jersey or New York deli for sure.

Let me put it this way: I have added Bagel and Bliss to my regular rotation. Update: Score up from 8.1 to 8.7. This place is legit.

Two nitpicks: they'll take a while to get your specialty sandwiches together, and they aren't open on Saturdays. The not open on Saturdays has cost me 3-4 times, basically once a month, when I'd like to go.

If you live in University City, or anywhere in a 10-minute drive radius, this will save you the extra 10 minutes of driving to Bageul Union for a comparable experience. Parking outside the shop can be dicey when it's crowded.

Carl's Deli Takeaway. My go-to in St. Louis when I have a pastrami hankering. Overloaded sandwich with at least half a pound of meat. 9.3 / 10 pastrami sandwich. 9.6 oz of meat is a behemoth. Not quite NYC quality, but close. Solid rye, mustard, and pickle. $11.95 for a sandwich pre-tax. Service is slow, so expect 2-3 minutes per person in line. Bagels for $1, but not fresh. Parking is a three-minute walk for free or closer with change. Tip: Bring cash to save 3%.

Update: Went back today, and it was as delicious as ever. The weight varies per sandwich maker, but it should be at least half a pound. Super friendly service.

Bowood By Niche Takeaway. Fancy Pancakes Come With A Fancy Price. 9.9 / 10 pancakes may be the best pancakes I've ever had. With a slight Irish soda bread flare to them, they do their best to deliver on the $19 price tag. The Standard Breakfast combo goes for $15, but includes bacon. 7.8 / 10 breakfast score. The best eggs I've had in St. Louis.

One of the best breakfast places in St. Louis. Based purely on taste, it's a 4.9 / 5 restaurant. However, considering everything is at least 50% overpriced, it's more than 4.75 / 5. So, it goes from the top 1% to the top 5% for me.

Really, really different vibe. No working-class clientele, all fancy sundresses. The main eating area is in a plant center, which is very cool in person. They also have a beautiful patio garden for eating outside. The server and service were fantastic. Parking on the street.

Lona's Lil Eats Takeaway. Big Thai and Chinese flavors come from these lil eats. Out of nowhere, for me, at least, delicious spicy tofu wrap. One of my favorite meals in St. Louis 8.7 / 10 is the combo of spicy tofu wrap and a side of spicy eggplant. We came before a concert at Chaifetz Arena on somewhat whim, and it totally blew us away. The spicy cucumber side was too spicy even for me, but everything else was a perfect 3 out of 5 on the spice scale. The only nitpick is the clear rice wrap can be overly chewy.

And what a fabulous deal. At only $11.25 for the spicy tofu wrap, Lona's is among the best flavor for your buck in all of St. Louis and one of my favorite Asian restaurants.

Like several over Asian restaurants in the area, it's counter service. You order and get a ticket for your food. However, we ordered ahead online and the food was ready right on time. You get to cut the line and pick up your mobile order from a special counter. At 6 pm on a Tuesday, the line was ten people deep. You have to find street parking in Fox Park.

After telling several friends about this great place called Lona's, they all responded the same way - duh. Apparently, I should have been coming here for years.

Soup Dumplings STL Takeaway. Savory Soup Dumplings Steal The Show. The pork dumplings top my charts for single-dish Asian food in St. Louis. The accompanying vinegar and chili sauce complete the experience. Six dumplings ($9-12.75) aren't enough, and 12 are too many, so bring a friend and split 18. My preference is pork dumplings >> chicken > beef.

Some notes. Chopstick only. I've never asked for a fork, but they might have some. The chili sauce on the table is A++. And try it with the recommended vinegar. I highly recommend putting your bowl under the eating operation to not let any soup get away.

Service takes a minute as they only have one register. The dumplings are also handcrafted in the back, so they take another bit to cook. Give yourself 20 minutes to get food from the time you step in during lunchtime. There is plenty of parking. Solid hours for St. Louis.

Original Pancake House Takeaway. Chart Topping Pancakes And Bacon. One of the best pancakes you'll have, or possibly the worst. The 9.3 / 10 pancakes have a unique fermented potato flavor you'll either love or hate. I love it. Paired with some of the best bacon you'll find, it's worth the price of admission.

And the price of admission isn't cheap. The $13.50 Dutch Baby pancake I had will get you two meals at other breakfast establishments. Throw in the bacon and a cup of coffee, and your order is pushing $20.

Super fast and friendly service. They're old pros at serving a ton of people as quickly as possible. Expect a wait on the weekends. Parking is available in the dedicated strip mall lot.

LeGrand's Market & Catering Takeaway. LeGrand's Legend Club is layers of legreat. A beautiful beast of a sandwich. 8.8/10 sandwich. More meats than I can remember. The antithesis of vegan. Meat on meat on cheese on cheese. Most affordable sandwich yet at $11.16 after tax and tip. Friendly and quick service. It weighed 11.4 oz with 7.6 oz of meat. Compact but delicious.

Another sandwich that will make you happy inside. One of the best sandwiches in St. Louis, with a fierce following. Reddit recommended.

A dozen tables of sitting. Attached grocery. Dedicated parking lot was empty at 11 a.m. Call ahead about twenty minutes to pick up.

The Lobby Lounge - Ritz Carlton Clayton Sushi Takeaway. Surprisingly stellar hotel lobby sushi. An 8.8/10 on my sushi scale was St. Louis pricey at $22 for a gourmet spicy tuna roll. The sushi melts in your mouth, which is a different sushi experience. The fries were standard hotel fair, and my wife's rainbow roll goes head to head with others in the area.

The best part of eating sushi in the Ritz Lobby is people-watching. Get there early on the weekends before it fills up to see all kinds of people. Service was spotty, as the server seemed overworked, but it didn't detract from the evening. Valet parking is available at the front, or street parking is three to five minutes away for plebes like me.

Parker's Table Takeaway. The Adult Sandwich Store. Surprisingly delicious salami sandwich cracked the top five best in St. Louis for me at 8.5/10. Small sandwich, but comes with chips and a drink. $13 for a 9 oz sandwich with 4.8 oz of meat, chips, and drink. The smoked brisket sandwich bite I stole from my father-in-law was also heavenly. Salad wasn't what I had imagined for $11.

Loved the vibes. For being a wine, cheese, and fancy meat shop, it is incredibly unpretentious. The average age in the store with me in it was easily 55+, and I'm 36. Amazing seating area with museum-worthy art, at least IMO.

Sandwiches are from 11 am - 2 pm. Service was a bit slow, taking over 20 minutes to get us our sandwiches, being third in line. Unfortunately, parking cost $.50 on the meter, and I didn't see a way to avoid it. From the vibes to the sandwich, just a surprisingly delicious experience from start to finish.

Update: Went back with friends today. Time-to-sandwich was considerably improved to under 5 minutes. Also found free parking a block away, but you have to be careful not end up in a lot that will get you towed.

El Burro Loco Takeaway. I'm loco for El Burro Loco. My new favorite Mexican restaurant in St. Louis. Best fajitas I've ever had. Top-of-the-line rice and beans. 8.4/10 unlimited chips. Above-average complimentary salsa. Amazing atmosphere and decorations. Good service. Gross bathrooms. The most expensive Mexican food I've had because it's in the Central West End. $21.25 for fajitas compared to $12-13 elsewhere in STL. Still great for families. Parking on the street. They have a second location downtown.

Tai Ke Takeaway. Delicious Taiwanese food at an affordable price. Everything up and down their menu is fantastic. 8.5 / 10 Asian food for me. I love the eggplant, bok choy, chili stir-fry chicken, beef noodles, pork belly bao, and braised pork rice. An entree still goes for under $15, which is a steal. My kids love the Taiwanese popcorn chicken. In fact, two 9 year olds who swore they didn't eat Asian food cleared their plates.

One of the best Asian restaurants in St. Louis. It was my "last meal" before the Pandemic - I went at lunch the day my office closed because I knew it would be the last time I would get to eat out for over a year.

I order online all the time, and it's always ready in under twenty minutes. The food tastes better hot in the restaurant, but it travels well. There isn't a ton of seating, so it can get packed at busy times of the week. Plenty of parking in Olivette's biggest strip mall.

Sultan Mediterranean Restaurant Takeaway. The Mediterranean food at Sultan flat-out delivers. Friends swore by it, so we made it a double date night. Sultan did not disappoint. It deserves a solid, round 8.5/10. An 8.5 is a very good score for me, putting it in the top 20% of restaurants.

The restaurant setting is practical, but the food is awesome. The Baba Ganoush was exceptionally garlicky and smoky, and the Ali Naza beef kebab was fantastic. The vegetarian rice pilaf didn't taste quite as good as it looked, and the same could be said for the pita.

But those are nit picks, Sultan was great.

If you're after Mediterranean food done right, Sultan is worth the trip. It's a place that's been around for a while, surviving the pandemic, yet had somehow flown under our radar. Parking on, or around, Manchester should be easy, even during prime time.

Wright's Tavern Takeaway. Wright's really writes the book on what a St. Louis steakhouse should be. I'm giving it an 8.2/10 because the steak was perfectly cooked, the atmosphere nailed the upscale vibe, and the whole experience felt worth the price tag.

This is absolutely a place worth the trip for special occasions. It's not Peter Luger or Wolfgang's level, but for St. Louis, it delivers a legitimately impressive steakhouse experience without the crazy markup you'd find at some places.

Reservations are tough to snag, but showing up right at opening or around the 6-6:30 rollover gets you a stool at the bar. The bartender was great to chat with. Parking is typical downtown street parking, so plan accordingly.

Kazu Takeaway. Kazu goes all out with knockout, takeout-only sushi. Spicy Tuna, Hamachi, and Rainbow rolls for the win. I give it an impressive 8.1 / 10, which makes it worth a ten-minute drive.

Kazu is a tiny, two-person operation that delivers high-quality sushi. The ingredients are fresh, the fish melts in your mouth, and the price comes in lower than other sushi spots in St. Louis.

The catch? It's takeout only, and the wait times on weekends are no joke. You need to plan ahead and order early. They also have St. Louis hours and close on Sundays. But if you're looking for top-notch sushi without the fancy restaurant experience, Kazu is a fantastic choice.

Serendipity Takeaway. Serendipity serves up surprisingly scrumptious ice cream. My wife and I didn't expect to be blown away with some of the best ice cream in St. Louis. Creamy and flavorful it delivered a deserved 8.6 / 10.

The ice cream has a unique, pleasant texture, and the value is excellent. The clever "topping" scoop option, which lets you try another flavor for a small charge, is a great touch. While the service was fast and friendly, the one hang-up was the menu. The ice cream has fun, creative names, but they didn't include descriptions of the ingredients.

But even with that small hiccup, Serendipity is one of the better local ice cream places in St. Louis and I highly recommended it for an after-dinner dessert.

Fire Chicken Takeaway. Affordable, Spicy, Delicious Chicken On Page. I've been a "long-time" customer as we started "coming" here during the pandemic when they first opened. My favorite Fire Chicken is Spice Level 3, which pushes me to my enjoyable limit. $14.00 for a serving, it's a solid 8.4 / 10 experience. My sons like the teriyaki, and I've also enjoyed their bulgogi.

We ordered the ramen during the pandemic but haven't had it in four years. It was delicious, but they never got our order right back then. No such problems anymore.

Not a sit-down restaurant. You can order online from any of five different sites. Plenty of parking if you go to pick it up, or they can deliver it.

Bagel Union Takeaway. The best bagels west of New Jersey I've ever had. Perfect texture and flavor. $2 per bagel or $10 for six makes them expensive for bagels. Very small bagels relative to NJ and NY. $1 "yesterday-gels" are great for freezing. No traditional deli meats, instead lox and turkey sandwiches - both start over $10, again expensive. I drive 15 minutes both ways every Sat or Sun with my son because these bagels are that good. A line out the door means a 20-30-minute wait.

The Lab Takeaway. Best humus in St. Louis. Known for their family-style spreads. Try the meat logs, smooshed potatoes, and upside-down rice. Atmosphere can be hectic, but it is good for families. Only costs a six-pack. Parking is easy in front or side streets. Tip: Put everything you can on a pita - hummus, tzatziki, or baba ganoush. Invite Only.

Sides Of Seoul Takeaway. Sides of Seoul makes my soul happy with quality Korean food. 8.2 / 10 on my Asian food scale makes it one of my favorite Asian places in St. Louis. I normally go with the delicious bibim-bop, but I audibled today into the spicy pork bowl-bop. Both hit the spot for $12.99 and $10.99, respectively, making both a heck of a deal. Also a big fan of their kimchi, seaweed salad, and bulgogi. Just all-around great Korean food for the money.

You can only takeout at S.o.S. At maybe 20' by 20' inside, they don't have an option for eating in the restaurant. I always call in my order, and they always give me a 10-minute quote. In the 10+ times I've been here over the last three years, they've never been late. The same, super friendly woman mans the front desk each time. Parking is easy in a dedicated lot with dedicated spots.

The Foundry Bakery Takeaway. Taro Bun, Pasteis De Nata, and Berry Trio Walnut Loaf Oh My! The trifecta. Taro Bun is a 9.1/10. Get the taro Bun stuffed full of filling. The Pasteis De Nata custard flows. The sourdough breads are top-notch. All were sweet in the right places, with complimenting flavors spread throughout.

Delicious. One of the best bakeries in St. Louis.

I met one of the owners, Ray. He has a real passion for the product. You serve yourself individually wrapped pastries. I was lucky enough to get the Pasteis De Nata (Egg custard tart) fresh out of the oven. I'm not a drink guy, so I didn't try the milks and teas.

It's a total hole in the wall. Even with Google Maps directing me, I missed it. They don't open til 11 am, so it is not quite a breakfast place, more desserts and coffees. Parking lot out front.

Yummi Tummi Takeaway Yummi Tummi provides a surprisingly tasty time in Maplewood. On the back of some fantastic ramen, I give it an 8.1/10, even if some of the other dishes don't quite hit the same high notes.

Yummi Tummi isn't the place you take your parents when they're visiting from out of town, but it's absolutely worth a 15-minute drive for some ramen without crowds. One of the better Asian restaurants in my travels around St. Louis.

Service is fast. Parking is a breeze, with its own dedicated lot right outside the building. Based on all the pickup orders, it definitely seems more focused on takeout, but there's plenty of seating if you decide to dine in.

Choquette Takeaway. Choquette crafts consistently excellent pastries. I'd give it an 8.2/10 for delivering top-tier baked goods that rival anything you'd find in France, but with that distinctly American abundance.

We stumbled on Choquette after hitting the Tower Grove Farmer's Market, and what started as a quick stop for macarons turned into a full-blown pastry haul that made my entire day. If you're anywhere near the area, it's absolutely worth the detour.

Service was quick (my wife ran in and out), parking is street parking in the neighborhood, and the convenience factor is solid if you're already exploring The Grove.

Afghan Kebab House Takeaway. Afghan Kebob House has authentically awesome Afghan flavors that mostly deliver on taste but stumble on execution. I'm giving it an 8.1/10 for the food, but a lower overall score because of the service.

The chicken kebabs are cooked to absolute perfection, juicy and tender in a way that kebabs almost never are. The aushak (leek-filled dumplings with yogurt and meat sauce) is a standout dish with unique, complex flavors you won't find anywhere else in St. Louis. The tikka masala has a great creamy sauce, and the meat kebabs won over most of my group.

But the logistics were rough. They missed part of our order, the timing was off by 10-15 minutes, and I had to make a 40-minute round trip to get the rest of our food. If you're in the area near Lindenwood Park or Ted Drewes, it's absolutely worth stopping by.

But I wouldn't make the 25-minute drive from across town specifically for it.

Southwest Diner Takeaway. Breakfast burritos and potatoes for a blissful breakfast. An 8.1 / 10 Standard Breakfast of eggs, toast, and potatoes. The potatoes carry the day. $7 for the combo. Small but flavorful breakfast burrito. So-so coffee. Has a Tex-Mex flair to the vibes and flavors.

One of the best breakfasts in St. Louis. Order anything with potatoes.

Standard, friendly service. Affordable prices relative to other St. Louis breakfast spots. Street parking. Patio is available for warmer days.

Songbird Takeaway. Your taste buds will sing a song to Sonbird, but your wallet will fall out of the nest. An 8.2 / 10 taste bacon breakfast sandwich costs $13 base, nets out to over $15 with tax and tip. The secret ingredient that'll immediately hit your taste buds is the honey. Trying it at home, they only need to add a little to make a big impact on the taste. All the ingredients, from the bread to the cheese, are top-notch, but a price point of around $8 would make much more sense to me.

The atmosphere is bright and hip. Light colors cover the walls, and giant windows allow ample light. Everything about Songbird sings, from the paintings on the outside to the pep in the servers. I ordered online, and the food was ready when I got there on a Monday morning. I imagine you would expect to wait for a busy brunch day. Finding parking might also be a challenge. I couldn't really find a spot even with no crowd because street parking requires a permit. Note: you have to go around the east side of the building to

Bar Moro Takeaway. Spanish tapas for a fancy date night. I don't have a great local comparison on roast rabbit, so go with my overall score of 4.39 / 5. The food is an 8.2 / 10, but it's super expensive for the area. The price always brings down my overall score because you can eat this well for less elsewhere -- just not rabbit.

The service was excellent. It's an upscale, modern space where the service is the point. My big nitpick is that it's too dark. I couldn't see my food, which negatively impacts taste, in my opinion. I would rather come at 6:30 in the summer than in winter because you could see your food.

With limited seating, we got 2 bar seats at 6:30 on a Saturday. You would have needed a reservation to sit at a table. Parking is on Wydown; you'll walk three minutes, tops.

Knead Bakehouse + Provisions Takeaway. Knead's beautifully baked bread and brilliant pastries cost a pretty penny. Overall, I'd give it an 8.4 / 10 as a bakery with the highlight being the bread. It could have been an 8.9 / 10, but the prices seem very high for StL. $8 for a kouign amann was over the top, but $9 for a sourdough loaf is also more expensive than $8 at other bread shops. It's undeniably good, but the cost keeps it from being an everyday occurrence.

The atmosphere is airy and modern, with an impressive open kitchen and a sourdough display. They have seating both indoors and out, operating on a get a number after you order system. Our food was ready in under 10 minutes on a Saturday morning. Parking in a big lot out front.

Nomad Takeaway. A unique smoked pastrami experience. In-house smoked pastrami is amazing. 8.3/10 sandwich could easily push past 8.5 if you like the smokiness. $14 for a sandwich is $17.57 after tax and tip. Amazing atmosphere. It's an adventure from the minute you walk in to when you take your seat. You follow Alice down the rabbit hole from room to room until you hit the patio Wonderland. I loved it. Plenty of street parking. Dogtown seems like the place to be. One of the best sandwiches in St. Louis. Their listed weight didn't match my scale...

Nudo House Takeaway. Ramen when you want it. 8.1 / 10 ramen that totally hits the spot. The egg melts in your mouth as the spicy saltiness of the broth coats your lips. The pork adds a deeper, meaty flavor as you take in the relish and sprouts. Just a rocking good ramen.

But, it's more expensive than making it at home, at $17 all-in for lunch. I have higher standards for ramen because you can make particularly good ramen at home for $3, assuming you've collected the necessary ingredients. Nudo is better than my homemade concoction.

Service isn't speedy. I was the first one in the restaurant on a Tuesday at 11 am, but it took them 15 minutes to bring me the steaming hot bowl of ramen. The restaurant has trendy vibes without being hip. You order at the front, and they bring you your food. Parking is ample at this location and the one on Delmar in the Loop.

Motor Town Takeaway. Motor Town makes some majorly good pizza. The Detroit-style Margarita comes in at 8.3/10, with the plain cheese just behind at 8.1/10. A fantastic entry in my search for the best STL pizza, sitting only behind the classic NY-style joints.

The New York style? Only a standard pizza. A solid 7/10, but not memorable.

That Detroit crust though. It's the real reason you go. I was very impressed with this fantastic focaccia feast.

Thai Mama Takeaway. Thai Mama was quite good. I'd give it a 7.5 / 10 overall. It's solidly above restaurant-quality Thai food, but nothing to blow you away. A good neighborhood joint for Curry and Pad Thai.

If you live within like a five-minute drive, this is the kind of place you could get on a Friday night and be happy with it. I've had better Thai food in my life, so it's not going to break any records there, but it fit the bill.

Online ordering made it easy. Food was ready faster than expected from their website. Parking is easy in a big strip mall parking lot.

Milano Kabob Takeaway. Falafel donuts are hole-y delicious. My favorite falafel in St. Louis. A new spot in the Loop where Al-Tarboush used to be located. 8.2 / 10 overall, led by 8.6 / 10 falafel and 9.0 / 10 garlic sauce. The falafel has a unique donut shape and I could quite literally drink the garlic sauce. The fatoush, sides, fries, and chicken tenders rate out at average restaurant quality of 7/10. I didn't get a kebob…

Milano's service was friendly. My sons and I were the only ones there on a Friday night, so we chatted with the owner. Although they have been in the restaurant business for a while, this is their first time in this location. They did a great job of renovating the frontage and space to bring it up to modern times. There's only a handful of seating in the restaurant, so expect more grab-and-go. Parking is available in the usual places on Delmar.

Vivola Express Takeaway. Fantastic local sandwich shop with top-quality meats, cheeses, and breads. The classic Italian sandwich was a 8.1/10 for $14. Expect a line of 20-30 minutes by 11:30 AM. I have no idea how Subway stays in business next door.

Pie Guy Pizza Takeaway. Pie Guy are my guys for pizza. 8.2 / 10 pizza is great for a Friday night with friends. Standard plain pizza with above-average sauce, cheese, crust, and crunch. $20 for an 18" pie that weighs 34.4 oz is very reasonably priced for St. Louis. Give them thirty minutes to an hour on Friday or Saturday night. Friendly service and great vibes with pizza murals. Parking can be hard on Manchester, so you might need to drive around. Not a great place to hop out to pick up the pizza.

Pizzeria Da Gloria Takeaway. A Shining Example Of Wood-Fired Pizza On The Hill. I'm not a wood-fired pizza guy, but this is my favorite in St. Louis so far. Comes in at a very respectable 8.1 / 10 pizza score. The top-notch sauce carries the pizza. A little too many cheeses for me. Very good crunchy crust. The undercarriage isn't crispy enough because it's wood-fired. The pizza is the most expensive I've measured in St. Louis thus far, coming in at $1.09 per oz.

One of my top five best pizzas in St. Louis.

Service was standard the one time we ate inside about two years ago. I ordered online this weekend, and it was ready on schedule. Street parking in The Hill can be tricky at prime time, but I found a spot on the side street for pickup at 5:30 pm.

El Potro Takeaway. El Potro perfectly provides everything you'd want in a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant. Reddit was right. 8.1/10 dive bar Mexican on the strength of the chips, guac, and Al Pastor quesadilla. Part of my search for the best Mexican food in St. Louis.

Service was fast and friendly. Prices are refreshingly reasonable, and our family of four spent $50 including guac. The free chips were some of my favorites in St. Louis at 8.2/10.

The food is solid, high-quality dive bar Mexican without any frills. The Al Pastor quesadilla was huge and tasty, and the guacamole had a surprising fresh kick. The whole family loved it.

Rozanna Mediterranean Restaurant Takeaway. Rozanna is one of the best Mediterranean spots I've found in St. Louis. It earns a solid 8.1/10. The shish tawook sandwich (with garlic sauce) and top-tier fries deliver the goods, but the real stars are the appetizers. Get a couple apps (baba ganoush, hummus, etc) and a sandwich, and the bill lands around $25 a head -- a steal for food this good.

It's worth driving over, especially if you're grabbing dinner with a group before hitting the room escape across the street. Just maybe skip Friday nights if you want to actually hear your friends talk.

Parking is ridiculously easy with a massive lot. Service is quick and responsive. And it sits right across from the room escape, so a pre-activity dinner couldn't be easier.

You can see why I come here with all this escape room talk 🙂

Top Sushi Takeaway. Great for Saturday night sushi at home. 7.1/10 sushi is among the best I've had in St. Louis. Our go-to takeout sushi. Well priced, but not cheap, like all sushi. Great yaki udon chicken rivals coastal restaurants. Gyoza and miso soup hold their own. The restaurant is small, clean, and good for kids. We also went here for a quick date night. TV in the corner and a sushi bar when you walk in. Parking is super simple in the strip mall. Tip: Order extra pickled ginger if you get three or four rolls. Directly across the parking lot from Vivola Express.

Taco Buddha Takeaway. I'd Rub This Taco Buddha's Belly Any Day. Fun, fresh, family atmosphere with mostly outdoor seating. 7.9 / 10 Mexican food overall. My favorite chips in the area with a score of 8.6 / 10. Unfortunately, the chips cost extra 🙁 at $4.25 and $11.25(!!) with guac. My kids and friends love the tacos, but I'm not a taco guy, so I go with the Baja salad with chicken for $13.50. All in all, $71 for lunch isn't cheap and lowers my overall rating for the Buddha.

The atmosphere at Taco Buddha is hip and trendy. The kind of place where the chairs don't have backs, the tables have QR codes instead of waitresses, and it feels like you're eating family-style. They have a pretty extensive drink menu, but I mostly come with family or friends at lunchtime. Parking is easy on Pershing, and it's never more than a 3-minute walk. They have dedicated parking spots for curbside pickup.

Yiro Gyro Takeaway. Yiro Gyro yields one of the best gyros I've found in the St. Louis area so far. I give it an 8.1/10, with killer tzatziki sauce that perfectly balances creamy thickness with bold dill flavor, and seriously crunchy fries that rival the best I've had.

If you're already out shopping at the outlets in Fenton, this is absolutely worth stopping by for lunch or dinner. The service was quick, the owner was friendly, and there's plenty of parking right out front. It's a half hour from my house, so I'm not making a special trip just for a gyro, but if I'm ever out that way again, we're definitely coming back.

Grassi's Ristorante and Deli. Grab Grassi's when you want to gorge on great chicken parma. A 7.9 / 10 sandwich for $10.69, this local institution delivers classic St. Louis hospitality in a family-friendly setting. Sandwiches come with a side salad drenched in dressing. Try the toasted ravioli. Get ready for parmesan cheese on top of parmesan cheese.

You'll find Grassi's in a hole-in-the-wall building off of Lindbergh in Frontenac. Took them ten minutes from ordering to the table. I didn't expect the lunch line format with signature trays. You order from the sandwich man before moving down the line to pay. They said you can expect a longer wait during the lunch rush, but I had no one in front of me. Parking right outside in a dedicated lot.

World's Fair Donuts Takeaway. Not the best donuts in the world, but they are close. Delicious cake and sugar donuts. My favorite donuts so far in St. Louis are 8.1/10 on the cake-based donuts. I have not had a glazed or apple crawler because they were out when we went. The pudding donut counts as three, and my sons split it. $2.25 for a donut is on the expensive side, as many around here go for $1.15.

A great place to stop if you're going to the Missouri Botanical Gardens. You should stop before the gardens in the morning and not after. They will be partially sold out if you go around 10-11 am like we did. They don't accept credit, but they have Venmo and CashAPP. Service was friendly when we went. We parked in the small dedicated lot in front. It's on a triangle of roads, so getting out can be a little dicey.

Idol Wolf Takeaway. You'll find ideal pan con tomate at Idol Wolf. 7.9 / 10 on the back of pan con tomate and patatas bravas. The other tapas were fine; those two were great. Spanish small plates inside the 21c hotel downtown.

One of the more fun date night spots I've been to in St. Louis.

The downtown location pairs well with a show or whatever else you're already doing that night. Service was smooth. Street parking is free after 6 PM, though you may walk a couple blocks for it. Prices run a bit high for St. Louis, but the food backs them up.

Florentin Takeaway. You'll find fantastic falafel and a pleasant pita at Florentin. $14.95 for four pieces of giant fluffy falafel wrapped in a light, fluffy pita. A solid 7.9/10 for lunch, it's a bit on the expensive side. I ordered four $.95 pitas to go. The $12.95 baba ghanoush delivered on flavor but not on value. They charged me an extra pita for the baba, which seemed kinda nickel-and-dimey.

Very good Israeli food, but probably not worth the twenty-minute drive across town for me.

Florentin has an extremely modern and clean feel. With straight lines across your eyesight on the patio and tables inside, you feel like you're eating at a brand-new restaurant -- because it is. On a Wednesday afternoon around noon, they had speedy service, no hiccups. I did notice they'd already run out of lamb and bagels. Parking was easy in the lot next to the building.

Dewey's Pizza Takeaway. Delightful Pizza and Salad. Dewey's is my sleeper hit. For $18, you get a solid 17" cheese pizza that comes in at 7.9 / 10 on my pizza scale. Top-notch sauce combines with a solid undercarriage and cheese. The middle-of-the-road crust holds it back from higher scores.

We always pair a pizza with a salad. We go with the house as our standard salad, but today, they had a seasonal harvest salad. They did a fantastic job of matching flavors. A+.

Dewey's is super family-friendly. They bring the food to the car curbside, which makes it go great. If you eat in, it's spacious and loud, which means no one can hear your kids. Parking is in a dedicated lot.

Dr. Office Pizza Takeaway. Slinging Pizzas After Surgery. 7.0 / 10 cheese pizza hits the Flood Line. A 12" pizza weighs about 10 oz. Specialty honey garlic scallion pushes 8.0 / 10. Great value as they trade Dr. Brown's soda for pizza.

Appointment only. Very homey feel. The head chef has an excellent kitchen-side manner and talks to you the whole time. Between him throwing pizzas in the air and chatting you up, it's basically Hibachi pizza. Games are available in the sitting area after dinner. Parking is available in a dedicated lot or on the street.

The BAO Takeaway. The BAO is a great lunch spot, and I have to go back for dinner. The BAO bun combo is delicious and at a solid price point. Parking is easy. Shoestring fries are an 8.5/10. Atmosphere was fun and hip, and the waiter was super helpful.

Pizza-A-Go-Go Takeaway. Wake me up before you go go grab a pizza at Pizza-A-Go-Go. A down-to-earth pizza joint in the Lindenwood Park Neighborhood. Surprisingly, solid pizza earns it a top-five ranking in St. Louis with an 8.0 / 10 pizza score. Deliciously crunchy crust with the appropriate ratio of cheese to sauce. You could taste a hint of oregano in each bite. However, there was a bit too much grease, and the crust lacked the fluffy chew you'd find in some of the better pizzas. At $13.50 for a 15", it's one of the more affordable items in St. Louis.

A throwback to an older time, Pizza-A-Go-Go sticks to its roots and offers a cash-only menu from a true pizza place. From an unassuming brick building, the half-dozen tables look directly into the pizza kitchen, where the team seemed appropriately busy for a Friday night. You have to call in an order because there's no online ordering form. You'll find parking in the dedicated lot or on any side street nearby.

Gioia's Deli Takeaway. A meaty marvel. 7.8/10 sandwich. Eating this sandwich is a joyous experience. 24oz total with 8oz of meat is one of the biggest sandwiches in St. Louis. $14.36 with tax and tip. Order ahead online to avoid a wait. Expect 1 minute per person in line and then another six for the sandwich to be made. Seating inside and outside. Fun Italian deli experience and decorations. Can be incredibly busy. Parking is simple in a dedicated lot or on the street, depending on the location. There's no L in the name despite what my brain says.

Vito's Sicilian Pizzeria & Ristorante Takeaway. All your pizza needs near SLU and the Fox. Margarita pizza came in at a 7.6 / 10 pizza score. Absolutely perfectly cooked with a crunchy undercarriage throughout. Fresh basil and tomatoes carried the pizza, while cheese and sauce were menzamenz. Overall, it was an extremely solid pizza for anyone on SLU's campus or going to the Fox Theatre.

I ordered my pizza ahead of time via the website. It was ready ten minutes early and piping hot. Based on initial times in the app, I got the impression that you should order at least 30 minutes ahead of time.

Fantastic hours. Vito's is only the second pizza place I've found open at lunchtime during the week in St. Louis. Open 7 days a week.

Parking in a small dedicated lot on the west side of the building. Also plenty of street parking.

Pastaria Deli & Wine Takeawawy. Pastaria Deli & Wine offers premium ingredient sandwiches. I've been here twice now and enjoyed the prosciutto sandwich (7.9/10) more than the Che Figita (7.2/10) I got this time. Overall, let's split the difference at 7.4 / 10, mostly due to the price.

It's built on Union Loafer's bread.

The price is definitely on the higher side. Expect to pay around $21 for a sandwich once you add tip and parking. It's a good pick if you work nearby in Clayton and don't mind paying up for lunch.

Vegas Wok Takeaway. Vegas Wok is a busy, spicy, and affordable Chinese spot just off the Loop. I give it a 7.9/10 for flavorful, delicious Szechuan. It's a great choice if you're nearby and craving heat, big portions, and quick service. Just know what you're walking into. The food hits hard, but it's more of a casual lunch stop than a destination meal.

While it's a better version of the Chinese takeout I grew up with, the bar for Chinese and Asian food is very high in UCity. The dishes are authentic, and the prices still feel like a deal, but with so many great Asian restaurants in the area, this one lands just a little short of the best.

You'll still see plenty of college students grabbing something to eat here, no matter the time of day.

Olivette Diner Takeaway. My favorite blue-collar diner in St. Louis. 7 / 10 Standard Breakfast of eggs, potatoes, and toast. 7 / 10 pancakes. 5 / 10 coffee with free refills and free-to-go cups. Bacon is above average. My kids love the kids' combo. Breakfast sausage is among the best I've ever had. And even the pies rock.

Growing up in New Jersey, diners hold a special place in my heart. The Olivette Diner has a personal touch and booths that bring me back to being a kid. Friendly, fast service from everyone. It's the best, cheapest diner food you'll find in St. Louis.

The first restaurant I went to after I moved into my house. Told them at 7 am that day, I'd be a regular. Now, I'm on a first-name basis with Melinda, the owner.

My biggest complaint? They aren't open for dinner. Pro tip: It's cash only. Bring cash, or you'll need to hit up the ATM in the back.

U-City Grill Takeaway. Affordable, no frills, no thrills, delicious Korean food. The go-to lunch spot for my buddies and me in U-City. 7.5 / 10 bibimbob and bokumbob. The "most expensive" item on the menu is $8.95. My favorites are only $6.95. Great flavors in in the meats and sauces. I can't ask for more for the price point.

One of my favorite Asian restaurants in St. Louis.

No real external signage. It's a hole in the wall on the westernmost side of the Delmar Loop. It's cash only, so bring a ten. Limited to maybe 10 counter seats in the entire restaurant. The owner cooks right in front of you while you eat. The seats get really uncomfortable after an hour. Free, infinite parking right outside the entrance.

Sugarfire Smoke House Takeaway. Sugarfire's supposed supremacy in St. Louis barbecue proved somewhat speculative during my recent visit. Many people love Sugarfie, but know I'm more of a Salt + Smoke guy. I give the overall food grade a 7.9 / 10.

With that caveat, I got the pulled pork plate ($14.99), a personal benchmark for BBQ, and it didn't measure up to the cross-town revival in my book. It lacked the smokiness and butteriness I've come to expect. The bright spots for me were the outstandingly creamy mac & cheese and my son's cheeseburger that overshadowed the main barbecue event.

Service was swift with a fun presentation of parchment on a tray, but she double-charged us for a couple of items and wouldn't credit it back. Parking in a dedicated lot.

Wonton King Takeaway. You'll never want for more at Wonton King. It was the first Chinese restaurant we visited in St. Louis five years ago. A solid 7.2 / 10 for what I would call "American" style Chinese food. With good chicken in garlic sauce, fried rice, hot and sour soup, and moo-shoo pork ($17.95), it would be the go-to in any medium-sized town in the country. Prices have continued to rise like all the other restaurants on Olive, but the portion sizes still provide enough for two meals.

Picture a Chinese food restaurant in your head. Ok, got it? That's Wonton King. Fish tank in the front, Chinese decorations all over, and a TV going in the corner. It's the quintessential Chinese restaurant atmosphere. The service is fast and friendly. Our food is always ready when we go to pick it up. And the owner is always ready with a joke or story. She's a talker, so be ready. Parking is really easy right outside in a big, dedicated parking lot.

Kingside Diner Takeaway. A high-stakes breakfast that's more straight than flush. The Standard Breakfast earns a respectable 7.8 / 10 on taste but is quite pricey. $13 for eggs, toast, and hashbrowns because it's in the Central West End. The hashbrown anchored the plate. I got a side of bacon, which was top-notch. The pancakes disappointed, earning a 4.5 / 10 pancake score.

One of the better breakfasts in St. Louis.

Service was speedy at 11 am on a Wednesday. It's much busier at peak times on weekends, so expect a bit of a wait for a table then. The entire diner has a playing card theme, from the logo at the front to the king and queen on the bathroom door labels. Metered street parking. I could have avoided paying for parking if I wanted to park five blocks away.

Gokul Indian Restaurant Takeaway. Above-average, vegetarian Indian food. Samosas steal the show. Paneer Tikka Masala replaces meat with paneer and has top-notch flavor. Pickup and delivery only. They won't let you inside the restaurant. You call to pick up from the front. Parking is easy on the side street or in the dedicated lot. Located on the far east side of the Delmar Loop. Horrid customer service. Tip: Check your order before you go home!! They will leave out an entree and not reimburse you! Edti: After sending them this review, I got the $16.83 back and an apology.

DD Mau Vietnamese Eatery Takeaway. Hole in The Wall For Pho, Bahn Mi, and Vietnamese tacos. Solidly priced for $13-16 depending on your protein and format for food. From rice bowls to tacos to soup, you can get your Vietnamese in whatever form you prefer. I'd give the Pho a solid 7 / 10 on my general Asian food scale. The pho is yummy and generous but not breathtakingly delicious. You could put something together at home with shopping, effort, and the right ingredients.

DD Mau offers counter service and takeout. After ordering, they give you a number, and you can pick a seat. They bring the food out ten minutes later. Super friendly as we took the time to read through the menu. They have a soda and condiment bar next to the counter. The line got seriously longer after we got in, so around 6:30 pm on a Saturday. But even then, it was only a 15-20 minute wait for food. Giant dedicated parking lot.

Chilispot Takeaway. The Opposite Of Chilly. Spicy Szechuan food that's great, but not the best in town. Mapo Tofu stars as a supple spicy surprise. You'll find plenty of social posts featuring the Spicy Popcorn Chicken that hits a 4+ on the spice meter. Huge portions of at least 16 oz for $15-20.

Food is always better in the restaurant when it's hot, fresh, and plated, but take-out still tastes good.

Wait times for pickup are in the twenty-minute range, fast for this neck of the woods. Parking is super easy in a giant lot. Part of the "Chinese Dive Bars" on Olive, the inside has a much more up-to-date vibe than the outside.

Amigo Sole Takeaway. Amigo Sole gets ambitious with their spicy Cheeto burrito. I'd give it a 7.5/10 for the novelty alone, though the execution is more fun than life-changing. Worth grabbing once in your life.

If you work on the Loop and want to shake up your lunch rotation, this fast-casual spot delivers solid Mexican fusion with a side of sneaker culture.

Service was quick, parking was easy, and you're in and out within 10 minutes. It's not worth a special trip across town, but it's a solid option if you're already in the area or catching a show at the Pageant.

Wei Hong Bakery Takeaway. Fun with sweet, sweet buns. I accidentally just ate 6 or 7 in two days. Delicious taro moon cake. Drove past the entrance the first time. Super hole-in-the-wall location on Olive Blvd. $1.85 per bun, $4-5 for moon cake. Kind of like a Chinese donut. Savory buns also available. Very much adjacent to the seafood shop. Tip: Semi-strange hours, so check before you go. Look for the bigger, yellow seafood shop of the same name.

Pizza Champ Takeaway. Championship-level crust doesn't have the depth of the sauce and cheese to make it to the playoffs. An overall 7.4 / 10 pizza score carried by one of the best crust and undercarriage combos you'll find in St. Louis. Cheese and Sauce didn't want to join the party on this visit. At $20 for an 18" pizza weighing 32 oz, the $0.63/oz scores right in the middle of the St. Louis Range.

Housed in a converted fast-food restaurant, Pizza Champ offers fast and friendly service. I didn't utilize the drive-through lane, but if you order online ahead of time, you can. They don't have a phone number or wait staff, so expect to use the QR menu or order online. The team at the window was super helpful and friendly. The outdoor seating is hip and modern with fans in the summer and heaters in the winter. A dedicated parking lot makes parking a breeze.

Subway Takeaway. The "Everyperson's Sandwich." Solid 5 out of 10 sandwich. The control group for comparing other sandwiches. $11.91 after tax and tip seems expensive. Super fast service. Incredibly high-calorie count. Meat lacks flavor, so get toppings. Brings me back to my first job. Parking is usually convenient. Subway Smell as soon as you walk in. A footlong is good for two meals.

Costco Pizza Takeaway. Tastes like a Tuesday. The "everyman pizza". 5/10 pizza. A baseline pizza we can all compare against. Insane value at $10/pizza. Limited options with only cheese and pepperoni. Very cheesey and floppy. Pizza weighs 58.8 oz for $.17/oz, which is crazy. Dominos is $.30/oz. One of the few places you can order by the slice for $1.99.

Tip: Call ahead and order via the food court saves waiting there for 20+ minutes.

You need to be a member. Parking is easy and convenient with the new UCity location off of I-170.

The Preston Takeaway.The Preston presents predictable plates in a plain package. I'd give The Preston a 7.0/10, with food that you'd expect from a hotel lobby. Restaurant-quality, but, in my opinion, a bit overpriced for what you get.

This is not a destination restaurant. In the search for the best food in St. Louis, you can skip this one unless you are staying in the hotel and can't go anywhere else. Great for convenience, not a place to go.

Service was perfectly fine, especially since we were basically the only people there. Parking is a bit of a hunt. You'll have to search the side streets off Kingshighway, but you'll find something within a few minutes' walk.

FroYo Frozen Yogurt Takeaway. Standard, local frozen yogurt. Standard toppings. Standard extras. Standard taste. Rainbow mochi. No taro. 5/10 frozen dessert. $.66/oz comes out to $4.XX for normal serving. 8yr olds will find a way to spend $6.XX. Clean machines, parlor, and bathrooms. Parking is easy in a shopping mall lot. Not sure it's worth 2x to 4x the price of Ben & Jerry's.

BerryBox Takeaway. BerryBox brought bland bowls to breakfast. I'd give it a 5/10. The acai was fine, the toppings were basic, but honestly, Costco's old acai smoothie is better. My wife likes this place for the bowls, but I don't get the appeal.

For $36, you get three small bowls with sliced fruit and granola that wouldn't even fill up my eight-year-old after a soccer game.

The service was pleasant enough, and the outdoor seating was a nice touch, but the flavor just didn't justify the price tag. If you're craving an acai bowl in St. Louis, keep searching, imo.

IHOP Takeaway. A Breakfast Convenience. Does Everything Fine. The best part of IHOP is the 7.5 / 10 coffee. The rest of the breakfast is convenient but expensive, coming in at least $11 for enough food. Too much butter masks whatever flavor lies underneath. The comparison breakfast so you can triangulate my tastes to yours. 5 / 10 Standard Breakfast. Pancakes are solid, but I can make them better at home, and they've gotten more expensive.

Service is quick. Super kid and family-friendly as every kid gets a placement to color on and crayons. Parking is always available in big, dedicated lots. You might have to wait a bit for a table at peak times.

Dohmo Takeaway. Dohomo dishes up decent ice cream, but the price melts the value. Overall, I'd give Dohmo a 5.5/10. The ice cream itself is solid, probably a 7.5/10 on quality alone, but when you're staring down close to a $40 bill for a family of four to get a couple scoops each, it's hard to justify coming back.

It's the kind of place that feels more like a special occasion splurge than your regular ice cream run, and in my opinion, that's just not what ice cream should be. For a random Thursday night craving, you want something that doesn't require cooking the books to afford dessert.

The service is quick, the parking is easy, and the staff handles everything from scooping to topping. But at these prices, convenience doesn't offset the cost.

Chipotle Takeaway. The Mexican Comparison. Chicken burrito clocks in at $8.75 with a 5 / 10 burrito score. It's big enough to be a filling meal, particularly if you go calorie heavy with cheese and sour cream. I keep it healthy and low calorie by sticking with only adding veggies. Their chips are a 7.0 / 10, thin, salty, and with a hint of lime.

The Chipotle corporate overlords removed the fun of ordering here. No longer can you hack the menu with ½ and ½ beans or a tortilla on the side. Everything costs extra and they lightened the load.

Service at Chipotle has been getting worse over the last five years. Lines take ten-plus minutes for five people. I've had pick-up orders that they hadn't started ten minutes after the scheduled time. It's all just sad because ordering ahead of time used to be a superpower.

Holds a special place in my heart as the first Mexican food I ever had - when I was 18 at college. Even if it has been on a sad, slow decline.

Oberweis Takeaway. Mid-west ice-cream chain. 7/10 quality, creamy ice cream. Flavorful coffee. Good-looking chocolate and peanut butter sundae cones. Soft-serve that satisfies. Friendly staff and clean restaurant. Offers ice cream cartons to go, milk, and other assorted goods. My buddy loves the fruit punch. Parking varies by location. While tastes on par with Ben & Jerry's, not sure it's worth the premium. My favorite Ben & Jerry's would be 7/10 taste.

La Tejana Taqueria Takeaway. Tinga Tacos Taste Like A Tuesday. Got the lunch special for $7.99. The side of refried beans was the best part. Tinga tacos were solid, particularly when I added green salsa. Campechano was dry. The corn tacos were the standout on the taco front. Roughly 12.7 oz of food. Free chips were a 4.8 / 10. They were thick but not salty or flavorful. Tasted wontonish. Green salsa was the best salsa.

Another pure hole on the wall off of Lindbergh. Service was standard and very friendly. They were continuously half-full from 12 to 1:30 on a Tuesday.

Parking out front in a dedicated lot.

Cibo Takeaway. Beautiful build-out, fast service, fair prices, but the pizza didn't do it for me.

Our waitress told us if you don't like the pizza here you're a weirdo, so apparently I'm a weirdo.

Cibo is a renovated old gas station in University City, with the service bays turned into windows and patio seating. We rolled up at 11:30 on a spring afternoon and the lot was already packed.

The pizza is the reason this isn't a 7. The cheese slice tasted like DiGiorno with too much provolone, and the crust edges were burnt from chasing a crispy bottom. Dewey's down the road is better pizza in my book.

6.8 / 10.

Come for a sandwich, not for a pie.

Missouri Baking Company Takeaway. Ok Italian Baking In The Hill. Surprisingly good white mountain bread ($5) they call sourdough. It was frozen but thawed deliciously. Cannoli ($5) was a miss for me. Cookies ($1.25 - $2.5) were ok. Everything looked better than it tasted, except the bread. Long time St. Louisans told me to check it out. I'd have to order radically different things as the Hill continues to unimpress.

Odd hours, so make sure you check before you head out. Cash only, but they have an ATM equivalent inside.

Service was fast and friendly via a ticket system.

Parking on the street is easy enough.

Donut Drive Up Takeaway. Donut Drive Up offers solidly above-average donuts. I'd say the star of their small show is the apple fritter and light, fluffy glazed donut. I give them a 7.2 / 10, as I have still not been blown away by donuts better than Schnucks in a while.

The operation can be a bit "janky" as they got my four-donut order wrong, didn't have one in stock at 10:30 am (fine), and are basically a donut stand in a parking lot (which is also fine). That said, your kids will like them if you make a stop after a visit to Brentwood Park, like we did. And yes, Donut Drive Up is the brother of Donut Drive In.

Bridge Tap House And Wine Bar Takeaway. All ‘Bout Charcuterie & Drinks. Not my favorite restaurant. My $16 5.8 / 10 ban mi sandwich sums up my experience with price and quality. I'm not meant for poorly lit, fancy-vibe places known for charcuterie and drinks. Focaccia bread was the standout for me. I don't drink and don't like to share food, so take everything I say with that in mind.

The running joke at the table for the night was the poor service from the bartender, who seemed upset he had to make drinks for the 12 of us. Our server, Joel, on the other hand, was top-notch and responsive.

Bridge has a grown-up, date-night wine bar feel to it. I don't fit in well with sweatpants and T-shirts. Street parking in this part of downtown was easy on a Thursday night.

Pali Grill Takeaway. A spotless new hole in the wall where the fries outshine the falafel. I came in rooting for it, since it sits on a strip I already love, but the sandwich I'd actually order couldn't clear my bar. 6.5 / 10.

The packaging had me ready for a win, which makes this harder to write, because I want to support new local spots. The flavor still lands below the flood line of a 7.0, my bar for standard restaurant quality, so I probably won't be back.

Domino's Pizza Takeaway. My kids' favorite pizza. I give the country's biggest slinger of pizza a 4 / 10. It's not good pizza, but it's pizza, so I'll eat it if someone else buys it. I've found that the Brooklyn-style pizza is my "favorite." The underlying problem is the overly sweet sauce and dough.

Pro tip: Make sure to use the app for the coupons. I normally use the 20% off coupon, but depending on your order, you might find a better deal. Without the coupon, Domino's isn't super cheap. In my opinion, Costco is a better deal in terms of both price and quality. A 14" pizza that weighs roughly 35 oz only costs $10.39 after the coupon. $.30/oz is incredibly cheap for non-Costco pizza.

Use the app for ordering and tracking. They are so close that I always pick it up.

Akar Takeaway. The overall experience at Akar was a miss. Great appetizers. Surprisingly expensive for Saint Louis. Parking is a pain. Would go back if someone else chose to come.

Pickles Deli Takeaway. Count me out of this costly Cuban. Cuban scored 4.1/10, while Italian put up a 4.9/10. Tiny sandwiches at only 8.3 oz for $10.99 with 3.6 oz of meat. Pork was dry. Italian lacked cohesion. Pickles put me in a pickle with the quality of their pickles - boring sandwich style. Parking is hard in the Central West End, even for pickup. Service was timely, and the order was ready on time.

Gelato Di Riso Takeaway. Disappointing gelato. After a fun dinner and taking in the postmodernism of The Hill, I had hoped for better. Very clean restaurant with helpful staff. Good energy for 9 p.m. on a Saturday. I would rather have had a pint of Ben and Jerry's.

Fozzie's Sandwich Emporium Takeaway. Ruined my Tuesday. Worst sandwich so far in St. Louis. 2.1/10 sandwich. First time I didn't finish the sandwich because it was bad. Thought I had Covid it was so bland. Big Bend Mafia is an open-faced sandwich on a hot dog bun. $12.95 for a 15 oz sandwich with ~6.8 oz of meat. Easy ordering online for pickup. Plenty of parking in a dedicated lot. Setting up a new bet with friends to come back.

Protzel's Deli Takeaway. No longer the worst St. Louis sandwich thus far. 1.9/10 pastrami sandwich. Stringy pastrami, stale bread, slow (friendly) service, so sad. Was told it was 8oz of meat, but only clocked in at 6.8oz. $13 for a large, $15.23 all in with tax and tip. Took over 10 minutes to make. Limited seating. Fun Jewish deli atmosphere with knishes and Dr. Browns. Parking is paid right outside, so go around the corner or down the road. This is how Subway stays in business.